Failing Charter Schools Have a Reincarnation Plan

September 19, 2017Annie WaldmanProPublica

While it’s widely known that private schools convert to
charter status to take advantage of public dollars, more schools
are now heading in the opposite direction. As voucher programs
across the country proliferate, shuttered charter schools, like
the Orange Park Performing Arts Academy, have begun to privatize
in order to stay open with state assistance.

A ProPublica nationwide review found that at least 16 failing or
struggling charter schools in five states — Florida, Wisconsin,
Indiana, Ohio and Georgia — have gone private with the help of
publicly funded voucher programs, including 13 since 2010. Four
of them specialize in the arts, including Orange Park, and five
serve students with special needs.